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Veterans

As the mother of an Air Force veteran, I am grateful for the many sacrifices our servicemen and women have made. Our veterans were willing to put their lives on the line to protect the liberties that we hold dear, and it is our responsibility to ensure they return home to a nation that provides opportunities for them and their families. This includes ensuring they have an affordable place to live, educational and employment opportunities, and quality health care.

Veterans are twice as likely as other Americans to become homeless. I have been proud to promote initiatives in Congress that identify our homeless veteran population, provide transition services that help achieve residential stability, and address the availability of housing. This includes increasing the availability and use of project-based rental assistance, which is proven to reduce move-in wait-times.

The long wait-times that have plagued the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) are simply unacceptable. While necessary reforms are implemented, we must also make sure the VA has the resources needed to serve the growing number of aging Vietnam era veterans and the influx of veterans who recently served in Iraq and Afghanistan. We must expand alternative avenues of accessing care, such as telehealth services and private care when necessary, to aid the 74 percent of veterans who live in rural and underserved areas.

Our veterans suffer from homelessness and disabilities at levels greater than the civilian population. In order to ensure our local veterans and their loved ones are aware of and able to quickly access the many resources available to them, I hosted a Veterans Resource Fair where Veterans had the opportunity to speak with representatives from the VA, local utilities, and other organizations to receive help. Attendees were also able to sit down and meet one-on-one with service officers from the VA to receive help on their pending claims. I plan to sponsor similar events in the future and as always, my staff and I are available to assist with issues local veterans may be experiencing with the VA and other federal agencies.

More on Veterans

A couple of weeks ago, U.S. Representative Norma J. Torres traveled to several communities in and around the Inland Empire to ensure the needs of local residents are reflected in the Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC) budget. As Chair of the CHC Budget Task Force, Torres has been instrumental in crafting a budget that offers an alternative to the harmful cuts in the Trump Administration’s Fiscal Year 2019 budget.

Tijuana, Mexico – Today, Rep. Norma Torres traveled to Mexico to meet with deported U.S. veterans to understand and address the barriers that prevent them from accessing the veterans benefits earned through service to our country. The visit to the Deported Veterans Support House in Tijuana, Mexico, revealed significant opportunities for the Department of Veterans’ Affairs and Congress to work together to improve the lives of those who served.

ONTARIO, CA – Today, Rep. Norma J. Torres (D-Pomona) issued the follow statement in response to recent reports of thousands of California National Guardsmen being required to repay enlistment bonuses that were given a decade ago:

ONTARIO, CA – Today, Rep. Norma J. Torres (D-Pomona) hosted a Veterans Resource Fair to provide local veterans with information on resources available to them and their families. Veterans also had the opportunity to sit down and meet one-on-one with service officers from the Department of Veterans of Affairs to get help on pending claims.

Join me at my Veterans Resource Fair in Montclair to learn more about the resources available to local veterans and to meet one-on-one with service officers from the VA for help on your claims. This event is free and open to the public, however appointments are required for claims assistance. If you know of any veterans who might benefit from this event, please invite them to attend. Registration begins at 8:30am.

WASHINGTON, DC – Rep. Norma J. Torres (D-Pomona) will host a Veterans Resource Fair to provide local veterans with information on resources available to them and their families and to give veterans the opportunity to meet one-on-one with service officers from the VA for help with their claims. This event is free and open to the public, however appointments are required for claims assistance.

What: Resource Fair for local veterans with the opportunity to receive one-on-one claims assistance

ONTARIO, CA – Today, Rep. Norma J. Torres (D-Pomona) presided over the “Celebration of Heroes” Battle Color Ceremony performed by the United States Marine Corps Battle Color Detachment at Chaffey High School in Ontario. Today’s ceremony was part of the Battle Color Detachment’s 2016 National Tour and was free and open to the public.

ONTARIO, CA - Today Rep. Norma J. Torres (D-Pomona) joined Secretary of Veterans Affairs Bob McDonald in meetings with public and private sector leaders working to address veterans homelessness in San Bernardino County. Secretary McDonald’s visit to San Bernardino County kicked off his four day trip to the Los Angeles metro area.

ONTARIO, CA –Today, Rep. Norma J. Torres (D-Pomona) took part in a field hearing at Riverside City College on reducing homelessness among veterans. The hearing, titled “Finding Solutions for Veteran Homelessness in Southern California,” was hosted by Rep. Mark Takano (D-Riverside) and brought together representatives from the private and public sectors to discuss how local programs are helping to decrease the number of homeless veterans.